A Loaf of Bread
by BastLover
Summary: During the period when Ichigo lost his powers, what will Inoue do to impress him? Randomness created by me! One-shot!


Orihime Inoue happily skipped off to Kurosaki Ichigo's house, carrying a bag of bread. It's been sixteen months since Ichigo lost his Shinigami powers and Kurakara town has been quiet for a while. Inoue decided to spend this time getting closer to Ichigo. But, since Ichigo is so oblivious to love, it may be harder than she thought.

She arrived at the clinic and yelled, "Kurosaki-kun! I got some bread!" He waved out the window and started to go downstairs to meet her. Inoue's head was spinning.

'What do I say? What do I do? What should I do? What should I say? Should I say hi? Should I play hard to get? Should I...' Inoue thought. Kurosaki opened the door and Inoue jumped. Her face was red and her heart started to pound hard.

"K-Kurosaki-kun!" she yelped.

"How much for the bread?" Ichigo asked.

"Y-you can have all of it! For free!" Inoue said, handing the basket to him. She rushed down the road and back to her apartment. Ichigo stood there, feeling confused.

"Hey! Karin! Yuzu! We got ourselves some food!" he yelled, before shutting the door.

Meanwhile, Inoue slammed her bedroom door and flopped on the bed.

'I overreacted. Kurosaki-kun won't like a girl like that," she thought, or really assumed. She looked over at her brother's picture.

"Onee-san...what do I do?" she said with a sigh.

**x.X.x**

"Kurosaki-kun! I have some more bread!" she yelled. Today, she felt confident to impress Ichigo.

"Oh, you going to give me free bread?" Ichigo asked.

"Um...yesterday, there was...a...sale! Yeah, a sale! Since you were a frequent customer, the manager decided to give you some free bread!" Inoue rambled. Inoue silently cursed in her head. She did it again.

"Oh, why don't you come in?" Ichigo asked. Inoue mustered a scream. Inside? Kurosaki-kun's room? Alone?

"Oh, sorry! I have to...meet up with Tatsuki-chan!" Inoue stuttered. She shoved some loaves in his hands and ran off. It wasn't a lie, she really did need to go see Tatsuki. Right. Now. Ichigo watched her run by.

"Inoue's being real weird these days," Ichigo said to himself, but he took the bread and put the loaves in the pantry.

Tatsuki was waiting for Inoue in her room. She looked out the window and saw Inoue running by. Must have been another day with Ichigo. Tatsuki's thoughts wandered off and before she knew it, Inoue rushed in and pushed her out the window.

"INOUE!" Tatsuki screamed.

"Tatsuki-chan!" Inoue yelled. Luckily, Tatsuki was hanging over the ledge and had enough room to place her feet on another ledge. Inoue pulled the lean girl up and through the window. Each girl was panting: Inoue of tiredness and Tatsuki from fear.

"How'd it go with Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked.

"Horrible! Ichigo asked if I could come in! And I overreacted _again_! And then I gave him more free bread!" Inoue said.

"That's not bad if you're invited in his house," Tatsuki pointed out.

"I know, but I don't know what to do!" Inoue whimpered. Then, she brightened up. "Tatsuki-chan, maybe you can help me with Ichigo! You are his nakama, aren't you?"

"Oh, I don't know about that. I'm not one to mess with this kind of stuff. But, I could tell you some things Ichigo likes-" Tatsuki started, but was cut off by a giant bear hug from Inoue.

"Thank you!" Inoue squealed.

"Can't...breathe...!" Tatsuki choked.

**x.X.x**

'I will do it this time!' Inoue thought. She cleared her throat and called Ichigo once again.

"What is it this time, Inoue?" Ichigo said, "More free bread?"

"Oh...there...was another sale!" Inoue trampled, "Boss wanted to congratulate you for being the 1000th buyer...?"

"Oh, well hooray to me. And," Ichigo said, examining Inoue, "do you smell anything?"

"Oh! That must be my new perfume. I was wearing it for the day. It was a present from Chizuru-chan," Inoue said. It _really_ was a present from her. Inoue would never lie to him, anyway, unless absolutely necessary.

"Funny. That's the same perfume Mom used to wear," Ichigo said.

"Really? What a coincidence!" Inoue said.

"You're acting weird still. It's not yourself," Ichigo pointed out. Inoue's heart fell.

"You still want some bread?" she asked weakly. They did business quickly and Inoue ran off with tears in her eyes.

"Whoa! Inoue-chan!" Tatsuki said as she ran past her. Tatsuki ran after her and caught her hand.

"What's wrong? Did that bastard do anything?" Tatsuki asked worriedly.

"No. It's my fault. I accidentally ate some...peppers! It was so hot, I guess I didn't realize that my eyes were tearing up. I'm okay!" Inoue lied. She shook off Tatsuki's hand and ran home.

"Be myself, huh? I'll do my best!" Inoue said, confidently.

**x.X.x**

****"Ichigo!" Inoue yelled.

"Bread again?" Ichigo said, opening the door.

"Yeah! You want some?" Inoue said.

"Actually, we've been having a surplus of it, thanks to you. Why don't you come in and help us finish some of it off? You can cook a little more if you want," Ichigo offered.

'Don't freak out, Inoue,' Inoue thought and she gladly accepted. She brought the bread inside and set the table.

"Yuzu! Karin!" Ichigo called. The two girls came down and looked at their big brother.

"You mind if Inoue eat's lunch with us?" Ichigo asked.

"Sure! The more the merrier!" Yuzu squealed. Karin shrugged. Inoue made sandwiches from ham and cheese. As she poured milk she thought, 'I can't believe it! I'm actually going to eat with Kurosaki-kun!'

"Bread again?" Karin said.

"Well, we can't waste it all. And Inoue made some sandwiches too. Don't complain," Ichigo said.

"Where's Papa?" Yuzu asked.

"I don't know. He's been gone for a while," Ichigo answered. They ate their sandwiches and made some small talk until Yuzu asked,

"Inoue makes great sandwiches! She should get together with Papa and marry!"

Ichigo spit out his milk and rushed to the bathroom. Inoue stifled a gag. Karin explained to Yuzu why Inoue can't be their new mother.

"Ohhhhhhhh!" Yuzu said, as if she understood the whole conversation, "Inoue, can you make french fries?"


End file.
